Ten Ways to be Perfect
The focus of this family time is to use five easy steps to teach our children that God gave his people the Ten Commandments. But the people couldn’t keep the commandments. Only one person obeyed all of God’s commandments all the time — Jesus.
Learn the Memory Verse together and say it throughout the week to help your family remember and apply what they have learned.
MEMORY VERSE:
Announce the verse: Exodus 20:3—‘You shall have no other gods before me.’
"You shall (Point outward)
have no (Make an X with your arms)
other gods before me.” (Point to the sky)
Exodus 20:3
STEP 1. GATHER!
Play: “I Forgot”
- Say: “I’m going to call out some things. If you ever forget those things, stand up. If you always remember them, stay seated. Ready?”
- You should play this game along with the children, standing and sitting along with them.
- Say: “Stand up if you ever forget to brush your teeth. Thank you, sit down.”
- Say: “Stand up if you ever forget someone else’s name. Thank you, sit down.”
- Say: “Stand up if you ever forget your own name. I’m very glad to see no one stood up.”
- Say: “Stand up if you ever forget anyone’s birthday. Okay, sit down.”
- Say: “Stand up if you ever forget your own birthday. Interesting that all of us remember our own birthday.”
- 8. Say: “Stand up if you ever forget the verses I give you to learn at home. Thank you, sit down.”
- Continue to call out items in the same manner; e.g., the way to get to school, your best friend, Christmas, bedtime, etc. You can read the items faster and faster so the children are jumping to stand up and so expend energy.
- Toward the end of the allocated time, say: “Stand up if you ever forget what God is like and how much God loves you.”
- You should stand up at this last statement.
- Say: “Thank you, sit down. Sometimes we all forget how great God is and we forget all the amazing things he has done for us. In today’s story, God’s people also forget what God is like and how much God loves them.” .
STEP 2. WORSHIP!
Elementary:
Preschool:
- Sing and have fun while worshiping then pray. Take a moment here to thank God for your family and your time together!!
STEP 3. BIBLE!
Ten Ways to be Perfect
Read aloud pages 100-107 “Ten Ways to be Perfect” from The Jesus Storybook Bible or Watch:
STEP 4. DISCUSSION!
Use these questions and points to have a conversation with your children about the Bible story.
- At the end of the story, say: “Isn’t it surprising! After all the times God has rescued them, the people forget God. They forget what God is really like. They forget what God has done for them. But God did not forget them. God kept on showing his people that he would look after them if they would trust him and obey him.”
- Ask: “For example, what did God do for them when they were hungry? Correct, God made the sky rain with food.
- Ask: “What did God do for them when they were thirsty? Yes, God made water flow from a rock. Then, to show them that they need a Rescuer and that he is the one who saves them, and to help them know, love, and follow him better, God gave them the Ten Commandments.”.
Jesus in the Story
- Say: “In the story, the people promised to do everything God had said, to obey all the Ten Commandments. But no matter how hard they tried, they could never keep God’s commandments all the time. Again and again they would forget what God is like; again and again they would not obey his commandments.”
- Say: “God knew this and he wanted them to know it too. God wanted them to remember that he is the one who saves them. Obeying the commandments cannot save them; only God can save them. But there is someone who did obey all of God’s commandments all the time. Who was it? Yes, it was Jesus.”
STEP 5. Pray!
- Pray aloud, thanking God for who he is.
- Ask God to forgive you and the children for the times when you have treated something or someone else as more important to you than God.
- Ask God to forgive you and the children for forgetting him and ask him to help you and them to remember